Often there is a significant amount of torsional vibration in a drive train leading from an engine, as a diesel engine, to its governor. Excessive torsional vibrations adversely affect the operation of the governor which in turn causes the engine to operate erratically. The oscillatory vibrations in the governor drive must be reduced or eliminated for satisfactory governor and engine operation.
Various mechanical linkages have been proposed in an attempt to reduce or eliminate the torsional oscillations between the drive train and the engine governor. However, direct drive systems with a plurality of gears usually experience the problem referred to as backlash, which results from machining tolerances allowing for imperfectly located gear centers and machined gear tooth profile. Backlash causes undesirable torsional vibrations, and the problem becomes more significant as the number of gears in the drive is increased and as the drive and power or load requirements change. Moreover, a mechanical drive specifically designed for driving a governor with no torsional vibrations in one engine may not be useful for other engines or their applications.